Those slow corkscrew give me life!
Posted Jun 14, 2015, 10:31 PM UTC
6949
Vortex....more like Soretex.
I'll always love this coaster for what it is, but good lord does it beat the crap out of you these days. It is pretty to look at though.
9
It's really rough, but those corkscrews just do something wonderful for me. I spent probably half an hour sitting in the shade and watching the trains go by last wednesday. Absolutely gorgeous.
4
Yeah the corks are for sure the best part of the ride.
2
The worst part is the turn before the MCBR. No matter how hard you brace for that turn you still end up getting smashed into the restraints hard.
3
It's not perfect, but Vortex will always have a special place in my heart.
7
They give me a headache.
6
Normally, I'm not about Arrow coasters; specifically for their slow ass corkscrews. But Tennessee Tornado at Dollywood was shockingly awesome, which made me angry that there aren't more like that.
6
That's because it was one of the last Arrow coasters, so they were finally starting to add heartlining to the turns and inversions. The trains are still a little rough but the track shaping and banking is so much better.
4
I had a feeling it was one of the last, like a final gift to humanity
3
I love Tennessee Tornado! My only complaint is that as soon as it starts to get really good, it just ends...so disappointing every time.
2
As a guy who grew up going to Kings Island every summer, I'm fond of Vortex. Next week I'm going to Dollywood, so I'll be sure to ride Tennessee Tornado!
2
You will like it, it's way better than Vortex (although it's shorter).
2
Tennessee Tornado is one of the smoothest Arrow rides but it really needed at least another inversion or two, it's just over too fast.
1
And the majority of the ride being built so high off the ground gives me cancer.
5
You take the good with the bad, right? It hurts, but I think it's worth it.
3
I kind of like it like that.
3
Since getting over my fear, I'm always amazed when I see these pictures. It's hard to describe, but I always see these rides and always wonder how it's even possible for them to work / stay on the track. Then I get on the ride and have the time of my life and just walk away really thankful that we have the knowledge and technology to make these types of rides.
I'm very interested in learning how roller coasters work, but wouldn't even know where to start.
3
Every modern coaster car has wheels that come in contact with 3 points of the track -
So there is never a danger of cars "falling off." When the ride is upside down or sideways it is held on by the upstop wheels (the ones on the bottom) or the guide wheels (the ones on the side). The ones on top are called the road wheels.
The coaster that OP posted is slightly different where it will have the guide wheels on the inside of the track. You may be familiar with Carolina Cyclone and Carolina Cobra, as well as all wooden coasters that feature this design.
If you are confused or want to know more, don't hesitate to ask!
10
It's fun to see other people being the exact same nerd I've been in this situation.
8
there is never a danger of cars "falling off."
Unless the wheel assembly falls apart (The picture shows the aftermath of the crash on Mindbender, where missing bolts caused the wheel assembly to disengage the track; the train then crashed into a support pillar).
2
Thats funny because my photo was also if Mind Bender. I didn't want to scare the guy with a 30 year old accident though, but perhaps I should have said "under normal operating conditions, there is no danger of the car falling off."
Obviously accidents can happen though.
3
Yeah, this is the only case I can think of where a coaster came off the track. There was an incident on Steel Dragon where a wheel came off, but the wheels are all in pairs so the train did not derail.
2
Thanks for the concern, but accidents happen. I'm not going to run from roller coasters because of random accidents. I find roller coasters really enjoyable and the experience on them is something I never forget. I only live once and I refuse to live in a shell like I have in my previous life (pre-roller coasters) haha.
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1
Nice pic. I love Arrows.
2
Grew up on this ride. Best feeling ever is going up the lift hill on an employee ride night at 1am with the park empty around you.
2
Can you imagine what all the current Arrows out there would be like if they had used the heart line that modern coasters use today? Similar to how they did on Tennessee Tornado? I can't help but wonder how that would have changed things
2
C'mon corkscrew!
2
Trust and believe, mawma!
2
I never knew I'd be seeing Rupaul references in the rollercoaster subreddit, and I'm gagging!
2
http://i.imgur.com/WU3ENGu.jpg I think I know Alyssa's secret. She's one of us.
2
What's the coaster?
1
Vortex at Kings Island
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Cheers
2
Ugh. I hate this ride. It's always a nice ride till that turn right before the MCBR treats my neck like a guillotine. Then I have to hold my head through the corkscrews and batwing, and try and put it back on before I get to the station.
0
Ride in the middle of the train, it is so much better.
3
It was my favorite when I was a little girl, so I had to give it a ride on my trip to KI last week. Good lord, it beat me up something fierce, but it was kinda worth it for nostalgia's sake.
2
"I love this ride" wince
"I love this ride" wince
"I love this ride" wince
"I don't love this ride anymore."
5
Haha exactly!!! I'm glad I rode it, it's been like 10 years since I've been on it, but once was enough this time.
2
I had to give up riding it last season...its just too rough now. It has not aged well at all, and its prime real estate for a sweet new ride whenever they decide to be done with it and rip it down.
Its funny, this year I went on adventure express for the first time in a long long time. I remember thinking that it was a rough ride, but what the hell. I get in and sit down and right in front of me is a plate on the car that reads "Arrow Dynamics" right then all those bumpy rides when I was a kid made sense.
They literally are the only coasters that I will try to avoid at all costs.
2
I love me some Vortex. I enjoy most of the Arrow Mega Loopers, it's such a shame that the GP hates them and newer better rides came along.
I don't think it's just the GP, they seem widely panned in the enthusiast community too. Personally I've been on a couple of them (Great American Scream Machine, Viper, Anaconda) and I think they've all been pretty rough and uninteresting.